Potato-digger.



0. SANDERSON.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED AP1L18, 1912.

1,097,990. Patented May 26,1914.

INVENTOR d, fizz 1060:401 I ORA SANDERSON, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

POTATO-BIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Application filed April 18, 1912. Serial No. 691,575.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORA SANDnnsoN, of Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in P0- tato-Diggers, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to potato diggers, such as form the subject of my Patent No. 866,889, dated Sept. 24, 1907, and the object of my invention, more particularly, is to improve the machine of that patent, and

to this end my invention consists in the potato digger having the construction substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation with the near carrying wheel removed, of a potato digger embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a detail view in perspective of the mechanism for moving the plow and grid.

As in the machine of my patent above referred to, I employ .a light metal frame A, which at its forward end has bolted between side pieces a tongue at, the frame dif fering in this respect from the frame of my said patent, and said frame is mounted on a carrying axle B having at each end a wheel C one of which is fixed to the axle and the other has a ratchet connection thereof so as to cause the revolution of the axle when the machine is drawn onward. Also, as in the case of the digger of my said patent, I employ a plow J which is hung by a pair of links K and one link L from the frame A, respectively, at rear and front, the rear links being attached to a rock shaft M mounted on the frame A, by the rocking of which the plow may be moved backward and forward.

Fixed to the rock shaft M is a hand lever T having a spring actuated latch t, of usual construction, for cooperating with notches a in a segment or curved plate U fastened on the frame concentric with the rock shaft. By means of the hand lever T, the shaft M may be turned to shift the plow backward and forward.

Mounted slidably upon and rotating with the axle B is a gear wheel P which, by a sliding movement along the axle may be moved into and out of mesh with a smaller bevel gear 0 loose on a portion of the rock shaft M projected beyond the side of the frame A. On one side of the smaller bevel gear is a series of equidistant radial arms,

or ribs 0 adapted in succession to engage a radial arm or finger o on a rock shaft V hung in bearings at the rear of the plow, and from which roc r shaft V projects rearwardly a series of parallel fingers v WhOSe lower edges are somewhat sharpened, and which fingers, when the two bevel gears are in mesh, will be rapidly vibrated vertically. The ribs 0 by reason'of their radial form possess the advantages that when they first engage the arm. 01 the point of engagement is near the axis of rotation of the wheel carrying the rib so that the applied lever arm is short and the working lever arm (the distance from the center of the wheel 0 to the teeth thereof which are engaged by the teeth of the wheel P) is long so that the greatest power is applied to the finger o in starting the upward movement of the fingers o with the load of potatoes and dirt upon them.

The sliding movement of the large gear wheel P to move it into and out of mesh with the smaller gear wheel 0, may be accomplished in various ways, such, for example, as by providing the hub of said gear P with an annular groove engaged by a semi-circular fork r depending from a horizontal bar R slidably mounted in a guidebox S fixed to one side of the frame A through a horizontal slot, in which box passes a horizontally slidable plate T having an inclined or cam slot t that engages a pin 1" carried by the bar R, and which plate T is connected by a link t with a rand lever 25 by means of which the plate may be moved back or forth and thus through the movement of the block R the bevel gear P may be shifted to cause it to be placed into or out of mesh with the smaller bevel gear 0.

The action of the arms or ribs 0 when the beveled gear 0 is revolved, is by contact of each arm with the finger o to lift the grid formed of the fingers 'v, and when the rib or arm 2) passes out of engagement with the radial finger o gravity causes the drop of the grid and its downward movement is limited by a radial projection 42 on the rock shaft V which strikes the underside of the plow J. By providing the stop '0 to strike the underside of the plow the jar from the stop does not fall upon the operating ribs 0 and the extremity of the arm 1;, and hence,

undue wear and strain upon these, parts is avoided and such wear and strains as result are borne by the heavy substantial plow and the stout stop 0 I Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a digger, the combination of an axle, a frame, a plow, links suspending the plow from the frame, a rock shaft to which the links are connected, a wheel loose on said shaft having on one side a series of radial ribs, a grid, a crank arm connected with the grid with its free end lying in the path of the radial ribs on the wheel, said ribs first engaging the free end of the crank arm nearer the center of the wheel, and means to revolve said wheel at the will of the operator.

2. In a digger, the combination of an axle, a frame, a plow, links suspending the plow from the frame, a rock shaft to which thev links are connected, a wheel loose on said shaft having on one side a series of radialribs, a grid, a crank arm connected with the grid with its free end lying in the path of the radial ribs on the wheel, said ribs first engaging the free end of the crank arm nearer the center of the wheel, means to revolve said wheel at the will of the operator, a rock shaft supported at the rear edge of the plow which carries the grid and said crank arm, and a radial projection on the rock shaft adapted to engage the underside of the plow and act as a stop to limit the downward swing of the grid when its crank arm is passed by the ribs on thewheel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

' ORA SANDERSON.

lVitnesses:

FRANK ToMPKINs, C. J. MCMULLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

